NASA Completes Testing of Two INCUS Satellites for Tropical Storm Study

Three-Satellite NASA Mission to Track Tropical Storm Development

Washington: The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced that it has completed the assembly and testing of two satellites for the Investigation of Convective Updrafts (INCUS) mission, which is designed to study the dynamics of tropical convective storms.

NASA said work is continuing on a third satellite, with testing expected to be completed in the coming months ahead of the mission’s planned launch in 2027.

The agency explained that the three satellites will operate in coordinated formation in low-Earth orbit. The first and second satellites will be separated by up to 30 seconds, while the second and third will be separated by up to 90 seconds, enabling scientists to observe the development of storms during their formation stages.

According to NASA, the mission seeks to improve understanding of how tropical storms develop and to help identify when and where they are likely to form, contributing to more accurate weather forecasting and mitigating the impacts of extreme weather events.

The agency noted that tropical convective storms account for more than half of global rainfall, despite the significant threats they pose to lives and property.

The mission will employ advanced radar and microwave sensing technologies to measure the vertical movement of air and water within storms. It will also examine environmental conditions, including temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, and wind speed and direction.

NASA added that the data collected will support the development of improved forecasting models and provide deeper insights into storm formation and evolution.

Mission equipment includes radar systems developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, deployable mesh antennas, and a microwave radiometer installed on one of the satellites. The spacecraft will be transported to the launch site at a later stage before commencing scientific operations in low-Earth orbit.